Food-stamp use takes record jump in Washington (Seattle Times)

A record number of people in Washington state are enrolling in the federally funded food-stamp program, outpacing the national growth rate.

Underwater mortgages dog U.S. housing (The Globe and Mail)

Don’t try to tell Mandy Peacock that the housing market in the United States is showing any signs of life. “I don’t think we’ve hit anywhere near the bottom,” said Ms. Peacock, managing partner at AAA Home Rescuers in Las Vegas, which helps people modify mortgages.